back the hanging silk, gazed over the silent streets of Ching-fow and
towards the great sky-lantern above.

"Hiya is faithless," he said at length in an unspeaking voice; "this
person's mother a bitter-tasting memory, his father a swiftly passing
shadow that is now for ever lost." His eyes rested upon the closed
vessel in his hand. "Gladly would--" his thoughts began, but with this
unworthy image a new impression formed itself within his mind. "A
clearly-expressed wish was uttered," he concluded, "and Tung Fel still
remains." With this resolution he stepped back into the chamber and
struck the gong loudly.



CHAPTER VII

THE CAREER OF THE CHARITABLE QUEN-KI-TONG


FIRST PERIOD: THE PUBLIC OFFICIAL

"The motives which inspired the actions of the devout Quen-Ki-Tong
have long been ill-reported," said Kai Lung the story-teller, upon a
certain occasion at Wu-whei, "and, as a consequence, his illustrious
memory has suffered somewhat. Even as the insignificant earth-worm may
bring the precious and many coloured jewel to the surface, so has it
been permitted to this obscure and superficially educated one to
discover the truth of the entire matter among the badly-arranged and
frequently really illegible documents preserved at the Hall of Public
Reference at Peking. Without fear of contradiction, therefore, he now